Demountable-head reel for annular bundles or packages of coiled wire



Dec. 8, 1959 B. H. SWALLOW ETAL 2,916,225 DEMOUNTABLE-HEAD REEL FOR ANNULAR BUNDLES OR PACKAGES OF COILED WIRE Filed Oct. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Basil If. Shfdl/OW Henry/LE. 5101x13 WM; 17 Z4111.

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1959 a. H. SWALLOW ET AL 2,916,225 DEMOUNTABLE-HEAD REEL FOR ANNULAR BUNDLES OR PACKAGES 0F COILED WIRE Filed Oct. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR Easi/if. Swallow HenryAE. Sjoker; z

ATTORNEY atent patented Dec. 8, 1959 DEMOUNTABLE-HEAD REEL FOR ANNULAR BUNDLES OR PACKAGES OF COILED WIRE Basil H. Swallow, Worcester, and Henry A. E. Sjoberg, North Grafton, Mass, assignors to Johnson teel dz Wire Company, Inc., Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 24, 1956, Serial No. 618,089

'5 Claims. (Cl. 24268) This invention relates to a demountable-head reel, especially adapted to serve as a pay-off or let-off reel, for large bundles or packages of coiled wire.

It was common practice, for many years, for wire makers to supply their customers with large coils of wire, ready wound at the wire mill on ponderous wooden or metal spools. These spools, mounted on axles in suitable stands, were used by the customer as pay-ofl? or let-ofl reels for the wire which they carried. But when emptied of their wire, these large heavy spools had to be shipped back at considerable expense, to the wire maker, for re-use.

To avoid the heavy expense involved in the maintenance, storage and back-and-forth transportation of great numbers of such large spools, much wire is now shipped spoollessly. That is to say, the wire is wound compactly, layer upon layer, at the mill in a large doughnut-shaped mass, about an inexpensive and discardable annular sleeve or core made of fibre or heavy cardboard; through said sleeves central opening a plurality of metal bands or straps are passed, and drawn tight about the coiled wire bundle in several places, to maintain its shape and compactness. This annulus of compactly coiled wire with its inner cardboard or fibre core or sleeve, is then withdrawn endwise from the winding device, and after being suitably wrapped, is shipped, in the absence of any supporting spool, to the customer.

The customer, however, must have special equipment for the ready reception and mounting of such a spoolless wire core or bundle, in such manner that the wire, upon severance and removal of said bundles retaining straps or bands, will always pay off smoothly and evenly for its full length, in the absence of any knotting, kinking, snarling or other obstruction. The provision for this purpose, of a demountable-head reel, that automatically maintains the spoolless bundle in condition for a smooth and even pay-off of its wire, is a principal object of our invention. This is accomplished, as hereinafter described, by so connecting the reels demountable head to its other head that heavily-preloaded spring means are always brought into action through one or more draw bars, to press both heads strongly against the ends of a wire bundle positioned between them.

Other and further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a diametrical section through the demountablehead reel or spool structure of our invention, and showing the spoolless wire core or bundle in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the reels demountable head.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a retaining and pressure adjusting nut.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the reels demountable head or end plate, showing how the bands or straps on the wire are exposed for severance and removal.

Fig. 5 is a larger scale fragmentary sectional view, on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, the reel or spool provides two circular concentric spaced apart heads or end plates 10 and 12 respectively, the latter being the reels demountable head. The two heads 10 and 12 have inner matching annular flanges 13, 13, which enter and serve to center (see Fig. l) the fibre or cardboard core 14 of the spoolless wire bundle 15, when the latter is mounted, as hereinafter described, in our reel. Beyond their matching inner flanges 13, 13, the respective heads 10 and 12 are formed with radial spoke-like strengthening ribs 17, 17 (Fig. 4) and also at intervals with elongated radial openings 18, 18, through which the bundles retaining straps or bands 16, 16, after being cut, may be readily removed. Additional strength and stiifness is imparted to each head by an encircling rim or felley 19.

At one or more locations inwardly of their bundlecentering flanges 13, 13, the two reel heads 10 and 12 carry the cooperating devices for their connection that incorporate in each case, the aforementioned preloaded spring means and draw bar. The space encircled by flanges 13, 13 will obviously accommodate a plurality of sets of said connecting devices. However, the illustrated preferred embodiment of our invention employs only a single set of said connecting devices, the same being located centrally of the space encircled by the head flanges 13, 13. In this central location, head 10, as shown in Fig. 1, is formed with an inwardly projecting hollow hub 20, and head 12 (the demountable head) has an inwardly projecting hollow hub 21.

Common to both of these alined hubs 2t) and 21 is an elongated draw bar 22 by which the two heads, as hereinafter described, are detachably interconnected, after the spoolless wire bundle 15, in the absence of demountable head 12, has been centered on the flange 13 of head 10. Said draw bar 22 is permanently assembled, as hereinafter described, with the head 10 within the latters hub 20; said draw bar 22, by reason of its central location, is of hollow or open construction from end to end, in order to accommodate a suitable axle 24, Fig. l, which is provided by the stand or fixture, not shown, in which the reel, when fully assembled to support the wire core 15, is rotatably mounted, for let-off of the wire therefrom. Both heads 10 and 12 are equipped with suitable bushings 25, 25, held in place by screws 26, 26, for receiving wear-resisting pins 28, 28 associated, as shown by broken lines in Fig. l, with the braking and/ or driving Such devices form no part of ourinvention, and further reference thereto is deemed un-- devices of the reel.

neces sary.

Draw bar 22, along a portion near the inner end ofan opposing out-turned annular flange 36. The annular space surrounding draw bar 22 between these opposed flanges 33 and 36 receives a strong expansion spring 42.

This spring 42 is put under a heavy preload by the act of making the above described pin-and-slot connection 38, 4%) between the draw bar 22 and the hub 241 of head 10. That is to say, for the pin 38 to be entered in slot 40, it is necessary for the spring 42 to be put under considerable compression by relative right-hand movement (Fig. I

1) of the draw bar 22. Thus it is that this. loaded spring 42 tends always to thrust the draw bar 22 toward the left Said slot 46, in the act of in Fig. 1. But this leftward draw bar movement, relative to hub 20, is limited, as shown in Fig. l, by the engagement with pin 38 of the right-hand end of slot 40.

The hollow hub 21 of the other (demountable) reel head 12 (see Fig. 2) has at its inner end a shallow inturned annular flange 39, wherein is fitted a flanged-bushing 34 of wear-resistant metal, held in place by a suitable setscrew 35. This bushing 34 is large enough internally to pass freely, with ample clearance, along draw bar 22, when the demountable head 12 is being moved into place against a wire bundle 15 that has previously been centered on the flange 13 of the other head 10 of our reel. The free end of draw bar 22, along the part projecting beyond hub 21), is formed with a coarse screw thread'30, this threaded part being freely received with ample clearance in the demountable heads hollow hub 21 and its bushing 34 when the demountable head 12 is put in position for operative attachment to the other head 10, by centering of said demountable heads flange 13 within the core 14 of a wire bundle 15 that has been placed against the other head 10 of our reel. Such attachment is obtained by an elongated nut 32 (Fig. 3) having internal threading 31 that matches the threading 30 of the draw bar 22, said nut 32 adapted to hear at its inner end against the wear-resistant bushing 34 of the demountable heads hub 21.

When loading our device to serve as a let-01f reel, the nut 32 and head 12 are removed, and the other head 10 is positioned horizontally, with its assembled draw bar 22 projecting upwardly. The heavy spoolless and strapped bundle 15 of coiled wire is then lowered into place and centered on the flange 13 of head 10, by any suitable coillifting means, such, for example, as that shown and described in our companion application Serial No. 618,090, filed October 24, 1956, now abandoned. Then, after head 12 has been put in place and centered, by entry into the bundles core 14 of its flange 13, the nut 32 is screwed onto the draw bars thread 30, so that said nut travels inwardly through the hollow interior of hub 21 until said nuts inner end is brought up solid against said hubs interior shoulder, provided, as herein shown, by the wearresistant bushing 34. In this position (Fig. l), the nut 32 acts merely as a clamping nut to hold the demountable head 12 in relatively firm engagement with the upper side of the coiled wire bundle 15.

Then the nut 32, from this clamping position, is given a further forcible inward turning movement on the draw bars screw thread 30, as by means of a suitable wrench that is engaged with notches 45, 45 on the outer end of the nut. This final inward screwing of the nut 32 is sufficient to pull the draw bar 22 inwardly (to the right in Fig. '1) thereby so spacing the end of slot 40 from pin 38 (see Fig. that the full pentup force of the preloaded spring 42 is thereafter exerted on draw bar flange 36 to urge the draw bar leftward, for the maintenance, by its attached head 12, of a strong and constant pressure against the mounted bundle 15 of coiled wire.

It is the maintenance of this strong compressive force by the opposed reel heads on the wire bundle that prevents the bundle from changing its shape, and insures smooth and even let-off of the wire therefrom, when our so-loaded reel is mounted, for a pay-off or unwinding operation, on the axle 24 of a conventional supporting stand or fixture. For in the absence of such a strong and constant compressive force exerted endwise on the compactly wound wire bundle 15, the latter, when its retaining straps 16, 16 are cut and removed, tends not only to spread sidewise, with loss of its shape and compactness, but also to undergo, during unwinding or let-ofi of its wire, such shifting and intermingling of its layers of convolutions that kinking, knotting and snarling of the wireis almost certain to ensue. Our invention, as above described, eliminates all such hazards and possibilities.

It is also to be noted that our reel construction, apart from its special adaptability to let-ofl or pay-off of the wire from spoolless bundles, is highly useful, because of its simplicity, as a take-up device, for the winding or accumulation of such bundles at the mill, upon fibre or cardboard sleeves 14, supported and centered by the flanges 13, 13 of its opposed heads 10 and 12. In both of these fields, of let-off and take-up, the construction permits of considerable variation in the axial dimension of the annular bundle of coiled wire which in one case is being payed 01f, and in the other case accumulated. This is because the described interconnection between the two heads it) and 12 allows them to be spaced apart considerably farther than shown by Fig. 1, without impairment of any elements function.

We claim:

1. A reel assembly of the class described, comprising a pair of spaced separable heads having opposed matching circular flanges for supporting and centering between them a spoolless annulus of coiled wire, a draw bar within said flanges and passing through both heads, said draw bar having a pin-and-slot connection with one head, a preloaded spring operative against said draw bar in the direction of said one head, said springs action being restrained by said pin-and-slot connection, said draw bar being threaded at the portion which enters said other head, and a nut receivable on said threaded draw bar to secure said other head to said draw bar and to hold it against a side of the spoolless annulus of coiled wire positioned between the two heads, and means responsive to tightening of said nut for so shifting said pin-and-slot connection that the full force of said preloaded spring is exerted through said draw bar to urge said other head inwardly, thereby to strongly compress the spoolless annulus of coiled wire mounted between the two heads.

2. A reel assembly according to claim 1, in which the heads have hollow hubs with inturned annular flanges at their inner ends, and the draw bar has at one end an outturned annular flange between which and the hub flange of the first mentioned head is mounted said preloaded spring.

3. A reel assembly according to claim 2 in which the hollow hub of the second mentioned head carries a wear resistant bushing to receive the thrust of the nut.

4. A reel assembly according to claim 1, in which the draw bar is disposed axially of said heads, and is made hollow from end to end for passage therethrough of an axle on which said reel is mounted.

5. A demountable head reel for annular bundles or packages of coiled wire, comprising a pair of separable heads, a draw bar for operatively connecting said heads in the presence between them of such a bundle or package, said draw bar near one end having a pin-and-slot connection with a first head of said pair, a spring between said first head and said draw bar for urging the latter in the direction of said head, said spring being put under preload when said pin-and-slot connection is made, the second head of said pair having an aperture that freely receives the other end of said draw bar, and a nut in threaded engagement with said draw bars other end to hold said second head against the interposed wire bundle or package, said pin-and-slot connection, in response to further tightening of said nut, permitting suflicient relative endwise movement between said draw bar and the first head for the full force of said preloaded spring to be exerted, in drawing the two heads toward each other, against the ends of the interposed wire bundle or package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,710 Selvig July 31, 1928 1,724,034 Mayer Aug. 13, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,094,948 France Dec. 15, 1954 

